This Texan Had No Intention of Becoming a Groomâ¦
Until he found out he had a year to find a brideâor risk losing the family ranch. Any of the four mail-order brides recently arrived in Granite, Texas, would make a good wife. So why canât Levi Westland stop thinking about the one who refuses to have him? The marriage of convenience Levi offers isnât enough to persuade Millie Hamilton. Truth is, itâs no longer enough for Levi, eitherâ¦.
Millie just needed a place to escape to. Now that sheâs paid Levi back his traveling expenses, she can forge her own way. If he knew the truth about her past, Leviâs admiration would vanish. But the only thing harder than risking her heart may be watching Levi marry anyone but her.
âAre you sure thatâs what you want, Millie? Just to remain friends? We can still be friends and be married.â
He wished the carriage wasnât so dark so he could see her expression better. âI thought things had deepened between us. Can you seriously deny you have feelings for me?â
He heard her soft sigh and felt her sit up straighter on the seat. âLevi, Iâll admit that something has changed between us, but it doesnât matter. I still canât marry you.â Was that a catch he heard in her voice? Or wishful thinking on his part?
âCanât? Or wonât?â Levi was more shaken by her refusal than he cared to admit. He knew his voice held the anger he felt but he couldnât help it. It was as if he were trying to draw a different response from her. To make her admit she cared. He sought to erect a wall of defense around his heart.
âI donât have a choice, Levi.â
Why couldnât she see that a marriage between them would be the best solution? It dawned on him it was the solution to his problem, not hers.
RHONDA GIBSON
lives in New Mexico with her husband, James. She has two children and three beautiful grandchildren. Reading is something she has enjoyed her whole life, and writing stemmed from that love. When she isnât writing or reading, she enjoys gardening, beading and playing with her dog, Sheba. You can visit her at www.rhondagibson.net, where she enjoys chatting with readers and friends online. Rhonda hopes her writing will entertain, encourage and bring others closer to God.
Chapter One
Granite, Texas
Fall 1886
Millie Hamilton stood in the stagecoach doorway and looked out on the town before her. Dusty, rustic and sparse. Most certainly not like her beloved hometown of Cottonwood Springs, New Mexico, with its trees along Main Street and flower boxes in front of businesses. No, she was finally in Granite, Texas, six months past her original arrival date.
âMiss Millicent Summer?â
Millie knew without being told that the man in front of her was Levi Westland, the man whoâd expected to marry her six months ago. She was to have been his mail-order bride. She recognized him from the photograph heâd sent her in his last letter, though the small picture hadnât done him justice. Surely he hadnât continued to meet the stage daily.
âYes?â Millie allowed him to take her gloved hand and assist her from the stage.
âIâm Levi Westland.â
To say Levi Westland was handsome would have been an understatement. Piercing green eyes shone from his face like gleaming porcelain, and two dimples appeared as if loving fingers had squeezed his cheeks. She was caught off guard by the sudden flutter in her heart. He was the most handsome man sheâd ever met, and that meant trouble for her.
Levi Westland smiled up at her and continued to hold her gloved hand in his. He smelled of fresh-cut wood and warm earth, but his attire appeared to be that of a rancher. Leather cowboy boots, a black Stetson hat and a shiny belt buckle were not the standard dress of a woodworker, which was what he said in his letters that he did.
âItâs nice to meet you, Mr. Westland.â Millie removed her hand from his. âI wasnât expecting you to be waiting for meâafter all, it has been over six months since I was supposed to have arrived.â
The stagecoach driver tossed two bags down to the boardwalk in front of them. Millie grimaced at the thud that they made and was thankful sheâd thought to put her charcoal and paints in her satchel instead of in one of the bigger bags.
Levi picked up the luggage. âI wasnât really waiting for you, Miss Summer. I just happened to be walking by when the stage arrived. When the driver called out your name, I stopped.â He offered her what looked like a nervous grin. âTo be painfully honest, Iâd given up on your arrival months ago.â